Some Ravens fans booked for Denver trip while others contemplate cost

Caption1. Ray Lewis and the city of Baltimore still have a lot of love left to give each other.

Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.

The celebration had already started as Ray Lewis and fellow linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo made the short drive to M&T Bank Stadium for the last time that Lewis, at least as an active player, would ever walk into the house he has protected all these years. Ravens fans all across the spectrum dusted off their No. 52 jerseys, leaving newer, less-faded ones of teammates a decade younger in their closets. A billboard thanking Lewis for 17 years of passion was erected within walking distance of the stadium. On his way into his house, Lewis passed through a tunnel of purple, dozens of fans yelling out his name while reaching out to put their fingertips on the living legend's crisp black suit. As he warmed up on the field before the game, the stadium was uncharacteristically filled as fans folded up their tailgates early to take in the scene. After bumping into offensive linemen Matt Birk and Marshal Yanda, he walked over to the sideline, where he wrapped his arms, glistening with sweat, around the greatest Olympian of our -- and probably any -- lifetime, Michael Phelps, who credits Lewis for inspiring him to win another half dozen gold medals last year. Lewis crouched in the middle of a ring of Ravens players, screaming out a battle cry as young players such as Torrey Smith, Arthur Jones and Anthony Allen listened intently. After hugging Smith, guard Bobbie Williams and linebacker Terrell Suggs, Lewis was the last of the Ravens off the field, and his descent to the locker room was stalled by more embraces with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith and Under Armour founder Kevin Plank. An NFL Films camera crew, which strapped a microphone to Lewis Sunday, trailed him all the way. About an hour later, nearly every cell phone in the bleachers was being held in the air as the defensive starters were announced. Finally, after safety Ed Reed bolted out of the tunnel, it was time for maybe the most anticipated moment the stadium had ever seen. Nelly blared. Fireworks burst. Goosebumps crept their way up the arms and legs of everyone in the building, from fans -- including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Orioles All-Star Adam Jones, Phelps, and actor Josh Charles -- and impartial media members to his Ravens teammates and their opponents. As Lewis did his signature pre-game dance one last time, the stadium was as loud as it has ever been, at least before an opening kickoff had been booted. And believe it or not, Lewis played better than expected, especially considering the 37-year-old had missed the past three months with a torn right triceps, one that was supported Sunday by a black arm brace that looked like something out of "Iron Man." The Indianapolis Colts felt his presence early when Lewis barged into the backfield and tackled running back Vick Ballard for a loss. He would record a game-high 13 tackles and he would later lament dropping an easy interception on a tipped pass. But his return no doubt inspired his teammates one more time, though it won't be the last. With the 24-9 win, the Ravens advance to play the Denver Broncos in the divisional round Saturday. Fifty-two ain't done yet. But this was the last time we will see Lewis, up close and personal, at M&T Bank Stadium, where he has poured his heart out for years. Because of that night in Atlanta more than a decade ago, Lewis will leave behind a complicated legacy, but it has been an honor to cover Lewis the player, arguably the greatest middle linebacker in football history. And you can't deny the impact that Lewis has had on the city of Baltimore, which said goodbye the right way Sunday. It was obvious that the outcry of love, thanks and appreciation touched Lewis, as a combination of sweat and tears smeared his eye black as he did a victory lap around the stadium after the game. "Everything I did to get back, if it wasn't for my team, it was for my city," Lewis said after the game. "If my effort can give you hope, faith or love, then so be it. I'll give everything I have." You have, Ray, and your city, inspired one last time, loves you for it.

The celebration had already started as Ray Lewis and fellow linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo made the short drive to M&T Bank Stadium for the last time that Lewis, at least as an active player, would ever walk into the house he has protected all these years. Ravens fans all across the spectrum dusted off their No. 52 jerseys, leaving newer, less-faded ones of teammates a decade younger in their closets. A billboard thanking Lewis for 17 years of passion was erected within walking distance of the stadium. On his way into his house, Lewis passed through a tunnel of purple, dozens of fans yelling out his name while reaching out to put their fingertips on the living legend's crisp black suit. As he warmed up on the field before the game, the stadium was uncharacteristically filled as fans folded up their tailgates early to take in the scene. After bumping into offensive linemen Matt Birk and Marshal Yanda, he walked over to the sideline, where he wrapped his arms, glistening with sweat, around the greatest Olympian of our -- and probably any -- lifetime, Michael Phelps, who credits Lewis for inspiring him to win another half dozen gold medals last year. Lewis crouched in the middle of a ring of Ravens players, screaming out a battle cry as young players such as Torrey Smith, Arthur Jones and Anthony Allen listened intently. After hugging Smith, guard Bobbie Williams and linebacker Terrell Suggs, Lewis was the last of the Ravens off the field, and his descent to the locker room was stalled by more embraces with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith and Under Armour founder Kevin Plank. An NFL Films camera crew, which strapped a microphone to Lewis Sunday, trailed him all the way. About an hour later, nearly every cell phone in the bleachers was being held in the air as the defensive starters were announced. Finally, after safety Ed Reed bolted out of the tunnel, it was time for maybe the most anticipated moment the stadium had ever seen. Nelly blared. Fireworks burst. Goosebumps crept their way up the arms and legs of everyone in the building, from fans -- including Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Orioles All-Star Adam Jones, Phelps, and actor Josh Charles -- and impartial media members to his Ravens teammates and their opponents. As Lewis did his signature pre-game dance one last time, the stadium was as loud as it has ever been, at least before an opening kickoff had been booted. And believe it or not, Lewis played better than expected, especially considering the 37-year-old had missed the past three months with a torn right triceps, one that was supported Sunday by a black arm brace that looked like something out of "Iron Man." The Indianapolis Colts felt his presence early when Lewis barged into the backfield and tackled running back Vick Ballard for a loss. He would record a game-high 13 tackles and he would later lament dropping an easy interception on a tipped pass. But his return no doubt inspired his teammates one more time, though it won't be the last. With the 24-9 win, the Ravens advance to play the Denver Broncos in the divisional round Saturday. Fifty-two ain't done yet. But this was the last time we will see Lewis, up close and personal, at M&T Bank Stadium, where he has poured his heart out for years. Because of that night in Atlanta more than a decade ago, Lewis will leave behind a complicated legacy, but it has been an honor to cover Lewis the player, arguably the greatest middle linebacker in football history. And you can't deny the impact that Lewis has had on the city of Baltimore, which said goodbye the right way Sunday. It was obvious that the outcry of love, thanks and appreciation touched Lewis, as a combination of sweat and tears smeared his eye black as he did a victory lap around the stadium after the game. "Everything I did to get back, if it wasn't for my team, it was for my city," Lewis said after the game. "If my effort can give you hope, faith or love, then so be it. I'll give everything I have." You have, Ray, and your city, inspired one last time, loves you for it. (Baltimore Sun photo by Gene Sweeney Jr.)

Caption2. Joe Flacco needs to play even better than he did in the second half of Sunday's win if the Ravens are going to go into Denver and beat Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox

After one half of uninspired football Sunday, it looked as if we were two quarters away from Ed Reed saying again that Joe Flacco looked "rattled" in a playoff game. At halftime, the Ravens quarterback, who is still in the process of trying to silence his many critics, had completed just five of his 12 attempts for 108 yards, with 47 on those yards coming on a screen pass to running back Ray Rice near the end of the first half. The Ravens led, 10-6, heading into the third quarter, but Flacco, who had a potential pick-six dropped by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis in the first quarter, had little to do with it. But with the help of veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who bailed out and also ignited Flacco with his leaping 50-yard catch on the first drive of the third quarter, Flacco got hot and finished the game with 282 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 12-of-23 passing. Boldin had a team-high five catches, all coming in the second half, for 145 yards and one of those touchdowns as the Ravens beat the Colts, 24-9. Flacco elevated his play when it mattered most, and the Ravens are hoping he will be able to do it again on Saturday when the Ravens travel to Colorado to take on longtime nemesis Peyton Manning and the red-hot Denver Broncos, who won 11 straight games to secure the AFC's top seed. This week, as the Ravens prepare for the Broncos, they will downplay the battle between Flacco and Manning. But make no mistake, for the Ravens to upset the Broncos, Flacco is going to have to play the game of his life. He will have to be a lot better than he was against the Colts, when Boldin made him look good with a few contested catches in tight coverage. Flacco rose to the challenge against quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in last year's AFC championship game, outplaying the future Hall-of-Famer and throwing what should have been the game-winning touchdown pass to Lee Evans. That drop by Evans is a reminder that Flacco can't do it alone -- he will need good protection from his offensive line and for his receivers to get open like they did in the second half Sunday -- but they need Flacco to be at his best to advance to a second straight AFC title game. And his Ravens teammates are confident that he will be. "He comes up big in big games like this," said Dennis Pitta, who snatched Flacco's first touchdown pass. It was another inconsistent regular season for Flacco, who at times flashed the potential to be great, only to frustrate with erratic play the next game, half or drive. But throw all of that out the window. Flacco is at the point now where he can forge a sterling reputation -- and make himself a large chunk of coin -- by playing well in the playoffs. We know he is a winner, but to be the champion, he has to carry his team, which has been better of late despite a few flaws, on his shoulders past Manning and the Broncos. That means playing sharp, mistake-free football for four full quarters. We saw in Foxborough last year that he is capable of playing such a game. The Ravens will need him to play even better than that to beat Manning, who has beaten them nine straight times, and his seemingly-unbeatable Broncos.

After one half of uninspired football Sunday, it looked as if we were two quarters away from Ed Reed saying again that Joe Flacco looked "rattled" in a playoff game. At halftime, the Ravens quarterback, who is still in the process of trying to silence his many critics, had completed just five of his 12 attempts for 108 yards, with 47 on those yards coming on a screen pass to running back Ray Rice near the end of the first half. The Ravens led, 10-6, heading into the third quarter, but Flacco, who had a potential pick-six dropped by Indianapolis Colts cornerback Vontae Davis in the first quarter, had little to do with it. But with the help of veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who bailed out and also ignited Flacco with his leaping 50-yard catch on the first drive of the third quarter, Flacco got hot and finished the game with 282 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 12-of-23 passing. Boldin had a team-high five catches, all coming in the second half, for 145 yards and one of those touchdowns as the Ravens beat the Colts, 24-9. Flacco elevated his play when it mattered most, and the Ravens are hoping he will be able to do it again on Saturday when the Ravens travel to Colorado to take on longtime nemesis Peyton Manning and the red-hot Denver Broncos, who won 11 straight games to secure the AFC's top seed. This week, as the Ravens prepare for the Broncos, they will downplay the battle between Flacco and Manning. But make no mistake, for the Ravens to upset the Broncos, Flacco is going to have to play the game of his life. He will have to be a lot better than he was against the Colts, when Boldin made him look good with a few contested catches in tight coverage. Flacco rose to the challenge against quarterback Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in last year's AFC championship game, outplaying the future Hall-of-Famer and throwing what should have been the game-winning touchdown pass to Lee Evans. That drop by Evans is a reminder that Flacco can't do it alone -- he will need good protection from his offensive line and for his receivers to get open like they did in the second half Sunday -- but they need Flacco to be at his best to advance to a second straight AFC title game. And his Ravens teammates are confident that he will be. "He comes up big in big games like this," said Dennis Pitta, who snatched Flacco's first touchdown pass. It was another inconsistent regular season for Flacco, who at times flashed the potential to be great, only to frustrate with erratic play the next game, half or drive. But throw all of that out the window. Flacco is at the point now where he can forge a sterling reputation -- and make himself a large chunk of coin -- by playing well in the playoffs. We know he is a winner, but to be the champion, he has to carry his team, which has been better of late despite a few flaws, on his shoulders past Manning and the Broncos. That means playing sharp, mistake-free football for four full quarters. We saw in Foxborough last year that he is capable of playing such a game. The Ravens will need him to play even better than that to beat Manning, who has beaten them nine straight times, and his seemingly-unbeatable Broncos. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox)

To mark his 30th birthday, Patrick McAuliffe made it his goal to attend every Ravens game this season. So when he saw the preliminary NFL playoff schedule last week and figured the Ravens might end up playing the Broncos in the second round, he booked a cheap flight to Denver.

But others, like Gini Rollins, spent Sunday night clicking through airline websites and her online bank account, trying to figure out how to make the trip work. She'd spent most of her time during the Raven's 24-9 win over theIndianapolis Colts texting with her brother, a Baltimore native who has lived in Denver for the past four years. He implored her to make the trip.

Many Ravens fans found themselves in the same spot, trying to scheme a way to see star linebacker Ray Lewis play live one more time. But Denver is not an inexpensive trip: Round-trip airfare out of BWI Marshall Airport was about $600 on Monday, and local companies arranging packages to attend the game were charging $1,500 per person.

Thousands of tickets to the game, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday, were available on the secondary market, on websites such as NFL Ticket Exchange and StubHub, for as low as $150. Hotel rooms could be booked in Denver for reasonable prices — many were about $189 a night — but the rates appeared to climb slightly throughout Monday.

Rollins, a Towson native who lives in Arlington, Va., and works as a nurse, decided to splurge on the trip when she found a round-trip ticket on Frontier Airlines for about $300 out of Reagan National Airport. She'll leave Friday and return Monday, but will have to disobey doctor's orders to do it: She's been resting a severely sprained ankle for several weeks and isn't even cleared to return to work until Jan. 15.

"I just decided I couldn't miss it," she said.

Rollins grew up in a football-mad family, her father talking of the Baltimore Colts and even buying season tickets to watch the Canadian Football League's Baltimore Stallions.

"There was an emptiness in the house before the Ravens came" for the 1996 season, said Rollins, who still makes it to a few games a year at M&T Bank Stadium. "We've had tickets ever since they returned."

McAuliffe, who lives in Canton, paid about $179 each way for his tickets on SouthwestAirlines. By Monday, the same seats were going for $300 each way. The cost of his hotel was mitigated by rewards points — he travels frequently for work — and he hasn't even purchased tickets to the game yet. His year of visiting other stadiums has taught him much about the secondary market. Mostly, it's wildly inflated early in the week. Maybe especially so for playoff games.

"I think Denver fans, seeing their team is the higher seed, may be banking on them playing again," he said. So not only are Denver fans not jumping on available seats, some who already have tickets may be trying to parlay them for profit. But McAuliffe is sure costs will drop.

NFL Ticket Exchange and StubHub had nearly 6,000 and 5,000 tickets for sale, respectively. There are also tickets available through travel agencies, though Sports Travels and Tours, had received mostly exploratory calls from customers Monday.

"It's mostly people kicking the tires," said Teresa Weybrew, director of sales for the Massachusetts-based company that puts together custom packages for each customer. "They're trying to see what deals they can find Monday, then they go home and stew over it and try to figure out if they can do it."

Brian Snyder, founder and CEO of BMORE Around Town, an events website, said he'd booked about 10 trips on Monday. That volume is much lighter than for recent playoff trips to Pittsburgh, New England or even Tennessee, when bus was the primary method of travel.

Snyder, who has been running Ravens trips since 2009, said in his experience, few customers plan for postseason trips and instead end up splurging. Many did so in order to attend Lewis' final home game, though, and will need time before making another large purchase.

The Denver package his agency offers includes airfare, ground transportation, two nights in a hotel, a party Friday and tailgate festivities Saturday. For a double booking, it's $1,349 per person.

"It's really just the price that is pushing people off," said Snyder, who booked a block of plane tickets a few weeks ago but does not receive a discount on the price. "I had 30 or 40 people text me right after the game Sunday, saying there's no way they'd miss Denver. But then they see the price, and there's sticker shock."